Small increase in heart risk from common painkillers

Prolonged use of some widely used painkillers increases the risk of heart attacks by a small but significant amount, a large international study led by Oxford University researchers has found. Professor Colin Baigent of Oxford's Clinical Trial Service Unit led the research on a class of painkillers called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). He said: 'The research shows that, when used in high doses, diclofenac and ibuprofen increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, on average causing about 3 extra heart attacks a year in every 1000 patients treated, one of which would be fatal. 'We would emphasise that the risks are mainly relevant to people with arthritis who need to take high doses over a long period. A short course of lower dose tablets purchased without a prescription, for example for a muscle sprain, is not likely to be hazardous. The research is published in The Lancet and was funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the British Heart Foundation (BHF). The study found that high doses of diclofenac and ibuprofen increased the risk of a major vascular event (heart attack, stroke or dying from cardiovascular disease) by around one third.